In a conventional clothes drier, in case clothes are put into or taken out during a drying process or the like, a drying operation is suspended by opening/closing a door and the drying process is temporarily stopped, wherein all of a heating device, a blowing device and agitation blades are stopped (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H8-182897). FIG. 18 shows the conventional clothes drier disclosed therein. As illustrated in FIG. 18, the conventional clothes drier includes rotary drum 1 serving as a drying drum for accommodating and drying clothes and agitation blades; heat transfer fan having wings on both sides 2 for circulating warm air in rotary drum 1; self temperature control type PTC heater 3 serving as a heating device provided in a blowing route toward rotary drum 1; door 4 for blocking an opening of rotary drum 1; motor 5 for rotatively driving rotary drum 1 and heat transfer fan having wings on both sides 2; opening/closing detector 7 for detecting an opening and a closing of door 4; and controller 6 for controlling an operation of PTC heater 3 and motor 5. In case opening/closing detector 7 detects opening of door 4, controller 6 stops the power supplying to PTC heater 3 and motor 5. On the other hand, in case closing of door 4 is detected, the power supplying to PTC heater 3 and motor 5 is resumed after a certain time period.
In such a conventional configuration, an electric heater which is capable of raising temperature rapidly is effective as a heat source. However, in case a heat pump mechanism including a compressor is employed as a heat source, raising temperature by the compressor is slow in comparison with a case of the electric heater and, further, it is difficult to return to an original temperature of warm air. Furthermore, a pressure difference of a coolant in a refrigerating cycle of the heat pump mechanism becomes large shortly after the compressor stops, and a repeated stop and start during a short time period may lead to a starting failure of the compressor. Accordingly, it is desirable and necessary to have a configuration capable of preventing repeated stopping and restarting of the compressor during a short time period accompanied by suspending and resuming of a drying operation.